title: The biblical teachings on suicide.
abstract: This article refutes Professor Margaret Battin's idea that the Bible tolerates and even encourages suicide. Dr. Barry argues that the Bible only allows killing in self-defense or as punishment for serious wrongdoing. To support his view Barry first describes several incidents in the Scriptures where suicide is requested from God and is refused. He next reviews incidents where self-inflicted death is tolerated as an act of devotion to God. He continues by discussing suicides which were condemned by God in both the Old and New Testaments. Dr. Barry concludes that suicide is not tolerated or accepted in the Bible except as the sacrifice of one's life as a means of serving God.
authors.affiliation: Newman Foundation at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D001633:Bible; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013405:Suicide; D028725:Theology